Railroad-jack



(No Model.)

` I. SHOUDY 8p J; LIGHER, 4

RAILROAD JACK N, verras mwmmw, wnmgm. nc.

.UNITED STATES PATENT Fries. ,l

. ISRAEL sHoUDY AND JoHN'Liorinii, on. PAW PAW, iLLiNois.

RAILRoAD-.JACK- SPECIFIQATIONforming part of `Letters Patent No..249,488, dated November `15, 1881. Appnefinou nieu september is, i881.(No model.)

To all whom it may 'concern :y i

Be it known that we, ISRAEL SHOUDY and JOHN; LICHER, citizens of theUnited States,`

' use on the track ot' railroads, to raise one `o`r both rails forthepurpose of leveling the track,

or for other purposes requiring the rails to be raised; and it consistsin the devices and the combinations of devices represented inthe ac-Ycompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an isometrical representationof our improved jack as applied in use. Fig. 2 is acentral section ofone of theratehet-Win dlasses lengthwise of its axis. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectioncut ceutrallyof theleveraud its ratchet, and Fig. etis a vertical central section of the pawl-detaching mechanism. o

In the figures, A represents the sills, and B the rails, of arailroad-'track spiked to the sills in the usual manner.

At C is represented the sill of our improved jack, which in thisinstance is a plank rectangular in planand section, and ofsuitabledimensions.

At D are represented vertical posts, rectangular in section and ofproper dimensions, having their lower` ends securely xed to the cornerportion of the sill, from which they rise to a proper height.

i At E and F are represented drums or windlasses of the peculiar formrepresented inthe drawings. The center portions of these windlasses areof concave form, as represented at a.. These windlasses, near one end,are formed with ratchet-teeth, (represented at 11,) adapted l At 'i isrepresented grapplingtongs of one lof thevusual forms of suchimplements, consisting of the bars 7c, pivoted to each other, as` atl,in the usual manner. The free ends of these'arms,

as at m, are of proper form to span and grasp the head of the rail, and"their lever-arms, as at n, are connected to the free end of the chainbyme'ans of links 0, forming a grapple of proper form to grasp theheadof the rait. In the drawings this chain and grapple isonly shown on thedrum E; but it is designed to use a like chain and grapple on theidrum`F, in the same manner as shown on thedrum E, but is not shown, as itsposition would be immediately behind the post of the frame.

At H are represented bars, which connect the posts toward their upperends on each side of the frame. about the center of their length bymeans of a transverse bar,I, securely ii Xed to thelugthwise bars H.

At K ar'e represented braces of suitable dimensions, placed in thelengthwise inner angle formed by the posts and sill, and are securelyfixed thereto for the purpose of givingfirmness to the parts.

At L are represented spring-pawls of bar form, having a foot portion, o,securely fixed to the sill of 'the frame, and their free upper ends aremade in hook form, as at p, `adapted to engage the ratchet-teeth c, tohold the windlasses.

At M isrepresented a vertical shaft, of suitable dimensions, mounted torevolve in a footbearing in the sill, and near its upper end in asuitable bearing in the transverse bar I.

At s are represented chains, which connect the spriug-pawls to thevertical shaft in such a Vmanner that in. the turning of the shaft thechain will be wound thereon,which action will disengage the springs fromthe ratchets. The upper end of this vertical shaft is of rectangu larform, as at t, fitted to enter the hole t,formed in the levers toreceive it, by means of which the shaft may be rotated to disengagethepawls.

At N are represented the operating-levers, which are suitably curved,and are provided with a hook, u, fitted to engage the -ratchet teeth b,in the manner clearly shown in the drawings. i

With these several parts constructed and arranged as shown anddescribed, the operation of onrinachine is as follows: The machine isplaced between the rails crosswise ot' the track, and between the sillsor ties thereof.

The grapples are then placed to engage the rails on both sides. Thelevers are/then employed in the manner represented in the draw ings, andas hereinbefore described, by means of which the operators will beenabled to rotate the windlasses, which action will wind the chainthereon, and will lift the track on one or both sides, as the levers ofone or both sides are operated, and when raised will be heldin theirraised position by means of the spring-pawl's engagingtheratchet-teeth5and wh'enthetrack .is properly adjusted the jack is disengaged byremoving.;` the levers vfrom the ratchets and placing one of them on thevertical shaft, t'o be employed as a sweep-wrench to disengage kthespring-pawls, to permit both the windlasses to 'revolve at once, andpermit both rails to drop at the same time.

At Pare represented clasps, fixed to the inner sides of the posts ondi'agonal'opposite cor ner-posts o'f the frame, in position to receivethe handle end of the operating-levers, as seen in the dotted lines, inwhich position their pro,- jeeting ends will serve 'as handles by meansof which the machine may be readily moved from place to place, asrequired.

.ratchet-teeth of the windlas'ses on opposite sides of the frame, and ofspringpawls to engage the ratchet-teeth of the windlasses, substantiallyas and for the purpose hercinb'ei'ore set forth.

2. The combination, with the spring-pawls,

of a winding-shaft and*chain-connection, substantially as and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

ISRAEL SHOUDY. JOHN L ICHER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM (l. BLEn, JOSEPH BAKER..

